Cigar-case



(No Model.)

- ,GQWESTAGOTT.

CIGAR CASE.

Patented Feb. 21,1893. v

i ll ll" wil m m!" I IIHI' l W "mu fm l PIC-3-3- 1 UNETE "rares ATEN Emmi CIGAR-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,127, dated February .21, 1893.

Application filed June 20. 1892. Serial No. 437,301. (No 'moclel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WESTACOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leon, in the county of Butler and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Cigar or other Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cigar cases, or other similar devices, and has'special reference to means for automatically raising the lids or covers of the same, as will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a case of the character set forth having aspringactuated lid, cover or top, centrally divided to form two sections, and adapted to be raised by releasing the fastening of the same through the medium of the said spring, the parts being simple and effective in their construction and operation and strong and durable.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective View of the case, showing the improvement applied in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device entire, the parts of the same being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the springs removed.

Similar numerals of referenceindicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a casing of suitable form and adapted to exhibit or display cigars or other articles, and having the top lid or cover of the same formed into two hinged doors 2 and 3, provided with projections or lugs 4, on the inner edges thereof and adjacent to the inner engaging ends of the saiddoors so that When the doors are folded down the said lugs will be closely arranged and parallel and are formed with lower inclined portions and rounded upper portions to obviate square shoulders or abutments. A spring-wire catch 5 is secured to the case 1, and has a loop 6, formed at the upper end thereof adapted to engage the lugs or projections 4, to hold the doors 2 and 3 in closed position. The upper loop 6 of the catch 5 automatically engages the lugs when the doors 2 and 3 are closed down and said catch is secured only at its lower end to the bottom portion of the casing to provide a sensitive yielding movement thereof, in its automatic action in locking with the said lugs 4,

and also in disengaging the same from the said lugs to release the said doors and gain access tothe casing. Each of the doors has one end of an elongated spring 7 of L-shaped form and, attached thereto and bent at an angle, as at 8, around one corner of the same;

and thence extended down diagonally across the end of the case, and secured to the latter. The ends of the said springs are bent at right angles to the members thereof to form securing spurs or points, and it will be observed that by the construction and arrangement of said springs a torsional effect is produced. The construction of each spring is similar with the other, and the application of the same is simple in that they are composed of the wire rods or elongated pieces of wire, which construction will be regulated by the power or resilient efiort which is required to be exerted by the same. The said springs may be also adjusted to increase or decrease their retractile effort, and said adj nstmentwill be regulated proportionately to the weight of the door adapted to be lifted thereby.

The device herein shown and described is arranged in horizontal position, so that the doors will rise vertically when released, but it is obviously apparent that the same might be applied in upright position and open horizontally, if so desired.

The device makes it exceedingly convenient to display goods and permit the purchaser to closely inspect the same.

It will be obvious that the spring for the doors, and the engaging catch and lugs, can be applied to other uses than cigar cases, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to this use of my invention, as I contemplate applying the invention to screen doors, to which purpose it is admirably adapted.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a device of the character set forth, the pair of doors, elongated L-shaped torsion springs having the ends bent at right angles to form spurs or points and connected at one end of their branches to said doors and extending around the adjacent corners of the same and having the ends of their remaining branches attached to the opposite ends of the casing, said springs being disposed at oblique angles to the plane of the doors, and a catch for holding the doors closed, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a casing having a pair of spring-actuated doors provided with beveled lugs on the inner edges thereof adjacent to the engaging ends of the same, and a springcatch attached at its inner end to the said casing and having a loop formed at the outer end thereof, that is adapted to simultaneously and automatically engage the said lugs to lock the doors closed and also to be disengaged from the said doors to permit the latter to spring open, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WVESTACOTT.

Witnesses:

D. G. RUNYON, E. W. ORosIER. 

